Alexander Khoroshilov (RUS) / GEPA pictures
The International Olympic Committee has provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, potentially opening a path toward Russia’s broader return to Olympic competition.
The IOC statement
In a statement July 7, the IOC said it lifted the suspension because the Russian Olympic Committee no longer includes regional sports organizations in territories under the jurisdiction of Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee.
The Russian Olympic Committee also confirmed that it would not conduct sporting activities in those territories.
However, the decision does not automatically guarantee that Russian athletes will compete under their national flag at future Olympic Games.
What the president said
In a short video released by the IOC, IOC President Kirsty Coventry said, “We wanted to ensure all athletes have the possibility to compete at the Olympic Games and not be held responsible for their governments’ actions.”
Coventry said the IOC will review the protocols governing Russia’s anthem and flag at a later date. However, the organization will not hold IOC events in Russia. The IOC also will not invite Russian government or state officials to its events.
Coventry added that the IOC will no longer systematically monitor Russian athletes for expressions of active support for the war. However, the organization will “monitor any issues that come up.”
How soon could Russia return?
The decision could allow Russia to move closer to competing under its national Olympic committee at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.
The IOC said Russian athletes would need to undergo independent testing if the Russian Anti-Doping Agency remains noncompliant before the 2028 Games.
The decision also creates the possibility that Russian athletes could compete under the ROC at the French Alps 2030 Olympic Winter Games.
However, the IOC has not yet confirmed how it will handle Russia’s flag, anthem or national identity at either Games. International federations will also continue to control qualification and eligibility within their sports.
The story so far
Russia’s Olympic restrictions have developed through several separate controversies.
The first involved the state-backed doping scandal connected to the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. The IOC later acknowledged a lack of confidence in RUSADA, Russia’s national anti-doping agency.
After news of the doping program emerged, the IOC imposed penalties on Russia. However, it allowed Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag and the name “Olympic Athletes from Russia” at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang.
At the Tokyo Games, held in 2021, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, the athletes competed under the ROC designation. They used an ROC emblem instead of the Russian flag, while the IOC prohibited the Russian national anthem.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the IOC and most international federations largely barred Russian and Belarusian athletes from Olympic and major FIS competition.
In October 2023, the IOC separately suspended the ROC after it incorporated regional sports organizations from territories under the jurisdiction of Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee. That is the suspension the IOC provisionally lifted July 7.
Russian and Belarusian athletes returned in 2025-26
Russian and Belarusian athletes returned to some FIS competitions during the 2025-26 season as Individual Neutral Athletes, known as AINs.
That followed a December ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which required FIS to allow eligible Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under neutral status.
Athletes and support personnel still had to meet the IOC’s AIN eligibility criteria. Those requirements prohibited national symbols and excluded athletes with certain military connections or active support for the war.
The CAS later clarified that eligible Russian athletes could compete as AINs at all FIS events, not only Olympic qualification competitions.
As a result, eligible Russian and Belarusian athletes returned to FIS competition and had an opportunity to qualify for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The Paralympic approach was different
The International Paralympic Committee took a different approach before the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
The IPC allowed Russian athletes to compete under their country’s flag for the first time at a Winter Paralympics since Sochi 2014.
At the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, Russia won eight gold medals and 12 medals overall, finishing third in the medal table.
In Para alpine skiing, Russia earned three gold medals, one silver and three bronze medals across seven medal events.
Organizers also played the Russian national anthem following the country’s victories, marking a significant departure from the restrictions used during recent Olympic competition.
What happens next?
The IOC’s decision removes a major institutional barrier for the Russian Olympic Committee. However, it does not resolve every question surrounding Russia’s return.
The IOC still must decide how it will handle the Russian flag and anthem. Anti-doping concerns also continue, while each international federation will retain authority over its competitions and qualification systems.
Still, the July 7 announcement represents the clearest indication yet that Russian athletes could move closer to competing under the ROC at future Olympic Games.
About the Author: Matt Garcka
